Wimbledon winner Pat Cash has identified Alexander Bublik as the player who is the biggest threat to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the 2026 Australian Open.
Alcaraz and Sinner, who are ranked first and second, are the heavy favourites to meet in the Australian Open final, having faced off in each of the last three Grand Slam championship matches.
Bublik is the 10th seed at the Melbourne major, having enjoyed a remarkable rise since March 2025, when he was ranked 82nd in the world.
The Russian-born Kazakh is at a career-high ranking of world No 10 after starting his 2026 season by winning the ATP 250 tournament in Hong Kong, where he downed Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
The 28-year-old’s Hong Kong triumph took his tally of ATP Tour titles to nine, with five having come since June last year.
Bublik could face world No 1 Alcaraz in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, while he can only play two-time reigning champion Sinner if he reaches the final.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports radio, Cash argued Bublik is the player most likely to upset one of the top two Down Under.
“Bublik is the guy to look for. He’s the guy that can upset one of them (Alcaraz or Sinner). I don’t know if he can do it back-to-back,” said the former world No 4.
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“Six foot five with all the talent in the world. They sort of call him the Eastern Bloc Nick Kyrgios — that’s the sort of way that he plays. He’s got flair, I think he’s probably a bit more focused than Nick.
“So I think he’s got a chance of upsetting those players. Like Nick did, he can come out and have a great match. Don’t know if he can go all the way, like Nick. But he’s dangerous and he’s great to watch.”
Cash was also asked whether Alcaraz and Sinner could have a decade of dominance comparable to that of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“Well, I don’t know about a decade, but certainly the next two or three years. Hopefully neither of them get injured and let’s see if they keep their motivation,” said the Australian.
“Next 12 Grand Slams, let’s say, it’s going to be between those two guys. Six apiece, let’s say… maybe not, maybe one of them will work the other one out.”
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